FMM Webinar on Managing Pay Reduction, Lay-Off, Retrenchment, VSS and MSS
INTRODUCTION
Due to the current uncertain economic outlook, many companies are
forced to look at cost reduction in doing business and one of its ways is to reduce labour cost. Besides retrenching their employees, companies are exploring cost cutting measures such as reduction in working days and encouraging employees to take annual leave or unpaid leave. As a last resort, companies may have to conduct a retrenchment exercise if other cost cutting measures fails. Retrenchment is the termination of employment of an employee or a group of employees due to a redundancy situation arising from a reorganisation of business where certain positions are eliminated to cut cost. Other terminologies of firing employees due to redundancy, such as downsizing, right sizing and workforce reduction has been used widely. It is common to have employees disputing the employer’s decision to retrench. The uninformed employers also risk running foul of the law when they failed to comply with proper retrenchment procedures.
OBJECTIVES
- Have a better understanding of provision in the Employment Act 1955 in relation to Lay-offs & Retrenchment.
- Acquire knowledge and best practices on how to apply those relevant sections of the law especially during retrenchment.
- Be aware of the Dos and Don’ts of Retrenchment Procedures.
SPEAKER
Mr Heng Poh Suan
He started his career as a Labour Officer in Kuala Kangsar in 1975. At the Labour Department he was enforcing the various Labour Legislations. In 1983 he was transferred to the Industrial Relations Department. He was the Assistant Director of Industrial Relations from 1983 till 2001. He left the Industrial Relations Department in 2002 to join the Malaysian Employers Federation as their Industrial Relations Consultant. In 2005 he joined the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers as their Human Resource/Industrial Relations Advisor. He had been conducting public as well as in house training programs relating to employment laws, discipline and misconduct
and domestic inquiries procedures for member companies. In his capacity as the HR/IR Advisor in FMM, he was advising member companies on the compliance and implementation of the various labour legislations, disciplinary issues as well as issues arising out of their collective agreements with their unions. He left FMM at the end of June 2021 and is currently a freelance Training Facilitator and Industrial Relations Advisor.